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Betelgeuse is the brightest star in the constellation Orion However Betelgeuse is a cool red star that is 520 light years from Earth How can Betelgeuse look so bright if it is that far away?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
It isn't the brightest star - at least, usually Rigel is brighter. However, Betelgeuse is variable, and can sometimes be brighter than Rigel. Wikipedia lists its luminosity as 105,000 times the luminosity of our Sun; and the distance, as 640 light years. Assuming these numbers, this would make it as bright as a star that is 10.5 times as bright as our Sun, at a distance of only 6.4 light years. In other words, the extreme luminosity compensates for its distance.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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What constellation has 2 of the brightest stars in the sky?
Generally, stars are named with a Greek letter designating the relative brightness followed by the name of the constellation. "Alpha" and "Beta" are (generally) the two brightest stars. So the brightest star in the constellation Scorpio is "Alpha Scorpius". Most bright stars also have Arabic names; Alpha Scorpius is better known as Antares. This pattern doesn't ALWAYS hold; for example, the red giant star Betelgeuse is Alpha Orionis, while Rigel is Beta Orionis. But Rigel is brighter than Betelgeuse! The answer is that Betelgeuse is a somewhat-variable star, and when the stars were formally catalogued, was brighter than Rigel. Betelgeuse has since dimmed a little, and is now less bright that Rigel. Some astronomers use Betelgeuse's variability as a sign that it is nearing the end of its life, and will "soon" explode as a supernova. Of course, "soon" to an astronomer means "within the next 10,000 years or so".
Where is betelgeuse located in the hunter Orion?
Betelgeuse marks the "Hunter's" right shoulder. For a northern-Hemisphere observer viewing the constellation, it's the bright, reddish star in the upper-left corner of Orion's main rectangle.
Where does the betelgeuse belong?
Rigel (Beta Orionis) is the brightest star in the constellation Orion and the sixth brightest star in the sky.It is a type B star and will have a temperature between 10,000 -> 30,000 KObservations have placed it's surface temperature at 12,130K. This equates to:21,374 degrees Fahrenheit11,857 degrees Celsius
What is the brightest summer star?
Arcturus is the brightest star that can be seen during the summer. Vega is also visible during the summer and would also be very bright, but not as bright as Arcturus.
Which heavenly body is brightest after the sun and moon?
Because Venus is a lot closer than the stars.
Which constellation contains some of the brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere?
After the sun the brightest star is Sirius in the constellation of Canis MajorIn addition to the star Sirius (brightest star in the night sky) in the Canis Major constellation. Another bright star in the night sky is Rigel (7th brightest star in the night sky) and it belongs to the Orion Constellation. The Orion constellation is the hunter. Next to Rigel are two other stars that make up Orion's belt. The other two stars are Bellatrix (27th brightest star in the night sky) and Betelgeuse (9th brightest star in the night sky). The Orion constellation stands out on the Northern Hemisphere between the months of January and March and during the summer months in the Southern Hemisphere.
How can Betelgeuse look so bright if it is far away?
It is the brightest type of star, Red Supergiant.
Does Orion have any prominent stars?
Orion is the most prominent constellation in the sky, so it has lots of prominent stars. Two in particular stand out. They are Rigel and Betelgeuse. Rigel is a very bright star in the bottom right corner, the brightest star in Orion. In the top left is Betelgeuse, also very bright but noticeably different in colour to Rigel, as it is a red giant star.
What is the brightest star in the northern cross star?
Acrux (Alpha Crucis) is the brightest star in constellation Crux.
What constellation has 2 of the brightest stars in the sky?
Generally, stars are named with a Greek letter designating the relative brightness followed by the name of the constellation. "Alpha" and "Beta" are (generally) the two brightest stars. So the brightest star in the constellation Scorpio is "Alpha Scorpius". Most bright stars also have Arabic names; Alpha Scorpius is better known as Antares. This pattern doesn't ALWAYS hold; for example, the red giant star Betelgeuse is Alpha Orionis, while Rigel is Beta Orionis. But Rigel is brighter than Betelgeuse! The answer is that Betelgeuse is a somewhat-variable star, and when the stars were formally catalogued, was brighter than Rigel. Betelgeuse has since dimmed a little, and is now less bright that Rigel. Some astronomers use Betelgeuse's variability as a sign that it is nearing the end of its life, and will "soon" explode as a supernova. Of course, "soon" to an astronomer means "within the next 10,000 years or so".
When can you see betelgeuse on earth?
Betelgeuse is in the constellation Orion and is best seen during the winter months in the northern hemisphere. It is very well placed for viewing around the months of November, December and January. Orion is a very easy constellation to find and Betelgeuse is the very bright and reddish looking star at the top left of it.
How bright is Rigel?
Rigel is the brightest star in the constellation Orion.It has an apparent magnitude of 0.18 and an absolute magnitude of -6.7
Which was discovered first Betelgeuse or Rigel?
Betelgeuse and Rigel are both in the top 10 brightest stars in the sky. They have been seen bright in the sky even since cavemen looked up. So, they were discovered about the same time.
Where is betelgeuse located in the hunter Orion?
Betelgeuse marks the "Hunter's" right shoulder. For a northern-Hemisphere observer viewing the constellation, it's the bright, reddish star in the upper-left corner of Orion's main rectangle.
Is Alpha Bootis a star in bootes constellation?
Yes. Alpha, The first letter of the Greek Alphabet, means it is the brightest star in the constellation. Bootes identifies the Constellation. A few very bright stars have a single name.
What is the Summer Triangle?
It is a reference to three bright stars that can be seen in northern hemisphere. Altair in the constellation Aquila, forms the top of the triangle. Vega in the constellation Lyra is the brightest star and is almost directly overhead. Deneb in the constellation Cygnus is the third star.
What is the brightest star in the constellation cygnus?
The brightest star in Cygnus, the Swan is the bright blue star, Deneb. It's name comes from an Arabic word meaning "tail", which makes sense, since Deneb is in the tail of the swan.
